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The only child of Sister Wives stars Kody Brown, 53, and Meri Brown, 51, has come out as transgender in a new Instagram post. Leon Brown, formerly known as Mariah Brown, revealed their new pronouns and shared details about their childhood while sharing their identity. “Someone recently told me that i didn’t have to have all of my s*** figured out in order for me to share myself with the world,” Leon wrote via the June 28 post. The accompanying photos showed Leon wearing khaki shorts, a white button up shirt, and sandals while striking a casual outdoor pose.
“So here’s me, definitely not having almost any of my s*** figured out, to let you know that i am trans. My name is Leon or Leo (i love both) and my pronouns are they/them,” they continued, reflecting on their “restrictive” Utah upbringing. “I remember the first time that i knew i wasn’t a girl. i was pretty young & unfortunately i grew up in a context that was incredibly gendered & restrictive. so i continued to be socialized as a girl & later a woman. and here’s the thing, i’m finally ready to share my favorite self with the world. and that self is incredibly genderqueer, trans, and unapologetic.”
The 26-year-old has been a mainstay of the TLC network hit since its debut in 2010, when they were just a teen. They went on to describe their “favorite self.” “Being queer & trans are definitely some of my favorite parts of myself,” they wrote. “And yet, there are so many things that i am learning to love about myself through this process. here’s to me getting to know myself, share myself, and continually evolve to be the person i am, to be my favorite self in all contexts.”
Leon completed the powerful social media post with a stern warning for anyone who might not wish to respect their pronouns and identity. “**I’m sharing this part of myself to let folks in, and also to set some boundaries. if you choose to not use my correct name or pronouns, then you do not need to speak to or about me,” they wrote. “My name is Leo or Leon, and my pronouns are they/them. please only refer to me in that way**.”
Leon is one of 18 of polygamist Kody Brown’s children across four marriages — although only one is a legal union, while the rest are termed “spiritual” marriages. While their parents have not formally reacted to their announcement, Meri did share Leon’s post to her Instagram stories on Tuesday (June 28,) alongside the words, “You are my sunshine.”